Gundam Seed: New Genesis
by Striker-0
Summary: At the end of the First BV war, our heroes begin the process of rebuilding their lives. With renewed hope and the courage, they must now face personal obstacles, new relationships, conflicted feelings and perhaps new enemies. (This is a newer version of my past GS fanfic so please enjoy. Pairings are listed inside.)
1. Recuperating

Hey, everyone. It's been a long time since I've last written a fanfic especially one that focuses on Gundam Seed. Lately I've been browsing some ideas on a particular pairing of mine but I've noticed that there aren't that many long-standing stories about it. So I decided to do one on my own and redo my original fanfic that I made years ago. I don't know how often I'll be able to update due to various things going on with work and school but I will try to do my best to update on a regular basis. But as I tell everyone at the start of a fanfic, I don't post if I reach a point where I feel that my passion or ideas are only half there. We all want a good thought out story that feels consistent and true. I haven't given up on my other fanfics either but I can only focus on one at a time. Well anyway, let stop my talking and get right to it shall we?

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny. Any non-canon or AU characters are mine though, however few there may be.

Note: This particular story is to be read with the idea that Kira and Cagalli both know about the photo Cagalli's father gave her but that neither has made the choice to pursue Athrun or Lacus. At this point there is still unconfirmed relationship status between those four as they were mainly focused on the war.

Gundam Seed: New Genesis

Chapter 1: Recuperating

In the deepest reaches of space, among the cold and vast system of stars and colonies that resided in their respective orbits, the remains of one of the greatest and fiercest battles ever to take place could be seen. The Bloody Valentine war which was the result of escalated tensions between the Earth Alliance, who represented the people of Earth, and ZAFT, who represented Coordinators who resided in space colonies, had left a heavy cost and memory in everyone's eyes. Both sides each had strong views about the other that led to many disagreements and confrontations, but in the end neither side was truly on the path to justice. Each organization had many political and ideological people in power that were corrupt or deranged by past traumas and greed.

Blue Cosmos was one such organization that had strong ties to the Earth Federation and was a major influence in the utter destruction and hatred of Coordinators due to paranoia and disgust with gene manipulation to create enhanced human beings. Patrick Zala, the leader of ZAFT, and many others had been influenced to destroy all the Natural humans due to the Earth Alliance attack years ago on Junius Seven, a colony that had been destroyed during an attack by the Earth. The only problem was the people who were caught in the middle of the struggle. Those would be the few neutral countries of Earth and various space colonies who had chosen to remain out of the fight due to not siding with either faction.

Not everything goes as it should though since those who wage war eventually find the need to involve those with peace in the crossfire. This was made evident when ZAFT had attacked and destroyed the colony Heliopolis due to confirmed information that the Earth Alliance was storing top secret mobile suits there. It was because of this incident that various key individuals were forced to make a choice in order to survive. Enemies were made, friendships were created, people became divided, relationships were forged, and many began to see that neither side was on the correct path to peace. A group of young men and women, who had each been involved in the war from respective sides, then came to see that in order to truly end the war they would need to stand on their own and combat both forces to show the world that it was possible to coexist with one another.

These remarkable individuals had each shed their share of blood, hatred, sorrow, happiness, and love. And it was thanks to them and the forces above that the war was over and a bright future was on the horizon. This is the continuation to the next stage for these men and women who sacrificed so much to obtain the peace that, however brief, was now taking place.

* * *

(Archangel)

The great ship Archangel was central to the war and had been involved many times in the battle for and against the Earth Alliance and ZAFT. The crew was comprised of former Earth Alliance military personnel, citizens turned military from Heliopolis, and new recruits from the neutral country of Orb. By this time, many were celebrating the end of the war and taking time to relax after such a long time of violence. A few chose to spend the time quietly to themselves, mostly the ones who had done the most fighting in the skirmish.

A young brown-haired boy sat quietly near the railing of one of the balconies of the ship, thinking about the events that had taken place. After being forced to pilot a mobile suit despite being a normal colony citizen, he had had his share of many battles and brushes with life and death. Now after many months of fighting, he had finally ended the war that had claimed so many lives. It was hard to believe at times since it all felt like a dream, but he knew it was over. The only thing question he had left was, what would he do now?

His friends were safe, he had stopped the war, had reunited with his childhood friend Athrun, and he had stopped the madman Rau Le Creuset, who was the main villain trying to get both sides to destroy each other. There were a few regrets that he had such as not being able to save many people including his love, Flay Allster. He had also discovered that he was a living experiment that made him the Ultimate Coordinator and that his family was actually his adopted family. But there was a bright light shining forward as well. He was now able to have a fresh start and finally have some peace. He would do his best to help make sure that wars, such as the recent one, were never started again.

First, he needed to be with his friends. After fighting for so long, he knew that it would be great to be able to spend time with the ones he cherished. After a few minutes, Kira Yamato stood up and headed towards the cafeteria, knowing that they would most likely be celebrating.

* * *

(Kusanagi)

About the same time, a young blonde-haired girl was sitting in her room staring up at a small photo in her hands. Many things had happened over the course of the year that were hard to believe. She had disobeyed her father's orders by leaving the safety of her country Orb and headed out to investigate rumors that her country, despite being neutral, had participated in manufacturing weapons for the Earth Alliance. She had found them during her trip to Heliopolis, but had been forced to get into a life-pod against her will for safety. After that, she had helped participate in a revolution against one of the leading generals of ZAFT, who ironically is now one of their allies. After reuniting with the boy who had saved her life and finding out he was now the reluctant pilot of one of the machines she had investigated, she then traveled with the Archangel towards her home country. Once arriving, she faced her father and made known all of the events that she had seen with her own eyes.

It was soon after that, she had received word that the boy, Kira Yamato, had perished in a battle with his friend Athrun Zala. She had been crushed by that news since deep down she had grown fond of him in a way that she didn't really consider until that moment. It was during that time that she had gotten to know of Athrun and Kira's past through the former, and deciding to take a stand on what Orb should be doing. Not too long afterwards, she was once again shocked to see that the once-thought-dead Kira was indeed alive, now armed with the Freedom Gundam he had received in space. To say that she was delighted was an understatement at being able to see her friend once more. Their reunion was cut short, however, due to the Earth Alliance's decision to retaliate against Orb due to its choice to not join them. Kira became a main asset in defending her country, especially with the alliance's new gundam mobile suits taking part in the battle. Even more astounding was the return of Athrun in the Justice Gundam to aide his friend.

Slowly, the battle was beginning to turn. That was until her father had told her of his decision to do what he thought was best for his nation. Instead of having it in a constant state of battle, he would sacrifice himself to allow his people a chance to escape. It was the hardest thing to see, the father she had known and respected as a strong individual, doing the bravest thing anyone could do. But there was also another big shock that was added to that, in the form of the photo she was now staring at. Before parting, her father had told her that she would not be alone without him, but that she would still have her brother. Saying this, he handed her the photo of a brunette woman holding two children in her arms and on the back of the photo were the words "Kira x Cagalli." Crying as her ship took off and left her father behind, she had no time to process this information until she had reached space.

Once the realization of her father's words were made clear, she had an even harder time understanding what was going on. The person who she grew up with as her father was in fact her adopted father? The boy in the photo named "Kira" was her pilot friend and now supposed long-lost twin brother? It didn't help that said "brother" showed up to check on her just as she was trying to make heads-or-tails of this new revelation. He couldn't understand it either after she had told him as well. Neither had a chance to discuss it further though since they had rendezvoused with the Eternal. The news of Lacus Clyne's father's death had added a new turmoil to consider not to mention the war that they were about to take part in. The war had been tough and many lives were sacrificed especially some of the pilots from her country. It pained her to find out that the female pilots who she knew in Orb had been some of the many victims of the battle.

However, now that the war was over and peace was once again restored it was only a matter of time until she had to head back to her country and begin rebuilding her nation. The only thing left to do was settle some unfinished business. Something she needed to let out before it consumed her and began taking a toll on her tired mind. Getting up, she made her way to find a certain someone. After boarding the Archangel, she finally caught up to the brunette boy that had been occupying her mind lately.

* * *

(Hallway of the Archangel)

Kira had been busy taking some time away from the party after spending some much needed time with his friends. It was great to see everyone all chipper and happy for once. He knew that they needed it just as much as he did. So after stepping out for a bit, he saw a familiar blonde girl coming in the opposite direction. Both stopped a few feet from each other and took a moment to gather their thoughts.

"Hey…" It was Cagalli who spoke first and took the lead. Kira decided to follow up and not make her wait or else she would probably get irritated.

"Hey…" It wasn't really an awkward type of mood but more of the feeling that each had multiple things that they wanted to say to each other. The best way to handle it was to find a way to bring everything out in the open without making it truly awkward.

"Do you have a minute?" She motioned with her hand pointing towards the direction opposite her. "I just want to have a little talk and I think we both have a lot of things that we'd like to say. Of course, I could understand if you want to have some time by yours–"

"No, it's alright. Actually, I've had the same feeling for a while now." He interrupted her, knowing he could never say no to her after all they've gone through. "And now that we have the time, it's better to just enjoy the freedom we have, right?" He smiled and she returned the expression.

"Yea, you're right." Turning around she began walking to the lounge, knowing it would be empty with everyone off enjoying themselves elsewhere.

Once entering the room, they made themselves comfortable and took a moment to bask in the peace and serenity. After a small amount of time, the blonde decided to begin the conversation.

"It's hard to believe it's finally over…The war that is." Both stared towards the clear glass window that gave a perfect view of space.

"I know. At times, I feel like I'm living in a dream and that I'll wake up any moment to find that we're still back in Orb or the Archangel." Closing his eyes, Kira leaned back in his chair waiting to hear his partner's comment.

"Don't worry, we're here and this is reality." Seeing his state of rest, she began to analyze his form and wondered what he was thinking at that moment. "Sometimes, I wish parts of this were a dream." The image of her father's figure standing tall as the burning flames engulfed him came into her mind.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could've been stronger. Then maybe you're father would not have had to do something like that." He already knew what she was thinking of and how hard it must be to deal with those kinds of things.

"No, Kira. There was nothing you could've done." She closed her eyes and shook her head, leaning back. "My father already knew what would happen regardless of how much you fought back then. You and Athrun may be the best pilots out there, but you're not all-powerful. We're all human and we all have our limits."

"Yea, but that doesn't make us wish any less that we could change the past or do more than we should. We can't help but want to correct our regrets." The young Coordinator now began to observe the young girl to his side.

"True, but that's what makes us all human. We think we can change the world on our own but we know deep down that we can't do it alone." Opening her eyes, she noticed him staring at her and suppressed the warm feeling in her cheeks. "I loved my father and I respected his way of life. I may have made some mistakes by doing things my own way, but deep down my father loved me dearly."

For a good ten minutes they just sat there in silence and let their minds just feel nothing. They knew the conversation would continue but there was no rush. They deserved this time to have a heart-to-heart about all the things that they had gone through. Now they were getting to spend time with each other as people who met under strange circumstances and grew to be friends during times of hardship.

"I don't believe it though, you know." Cagalli stared outside the glass at the far reaches of space.

"About what? You mean the photo?" He knew they would get to that at some point but talking about it now was starting to get his heart racing a bit.

"Yea. I mean it sounds so…so…"

"Weird?" Kira filled in the blank, hoping to see what her reaction would be.

"Crazy." This caused her companion to raise an eyebrow. "So, I'm supposed to believe that out of all the people in the world, the one person that I meet by chance and spend all this time with turns out to be my twin brother who was separated at birth?" She looks at him as if asking what he thought about it.

"That does sound crazy. What is that a one in a trillion chance?" A bad joke on his part, but he tried to lighten the mood a bit. His blonde friend didn't look so amused though.

"I'm serious. That just sounds so far-fetched and out of this world. We just now get this kind of revelation as if we're supposed to just accept it and go on with our lives!" The young girl thought she was going to have a migraine with all of the frustration and emotions that were smarming her now.

"Yea, but there's the photo. It has our names on it and even your father seemed to be convinced that I'm the 'Kira' in that photo. Not to mention, Rau Le Creuset seemed to know a lot about the situation." Despite his comment, even he found the whole idea hard to believe.

"Photographs don't mean proof without a doubt. And who in the world would believe a madman like him anyway?" She let out a exhausted sigh and she leaned back again. "For one, I don't even know the woman in that photo. She could be anyone for all I know. Not only that, how do we know that someone just didn't write our names on the back just to…I don't know…prevent something?"

"Prevent something? Like what?" Cagalli was thankful that her friend was dense so that he didn't immediately get why she was starting to blush.

"Nothing. All I'm saying is that there are too many things unconfirmed for us to believe that this whole thing is true." Standing up, she turned and pointed to him. "This changes nothing between us, okay. I'm still Cagalli Yula Attha and you're still Kira Yamato. And until we find out different, I say we're still the same people who met from Heliopolis to this moment here." Kira could only eye his friend as she stood there and made her resolute declaration before smiling and standing up.

"True, we've been through too much to let something like this with no basis ruin whatever friendship we've made. So until something changes, I guess we're back to being pilot and princess." He noticed a familiar twitch in the girl's eye as she stared at him as if he had just stepped on a land mine.

"You know how much I dislike being called that word." Walking up to him, she lightly pulled on his cheek. And despite not pinching hard, he at least had the decency to start sweating a little.

"Well, you are a princess. Even if you don't act like one." Her grip increased slightly due to a small annoyance at that comment. She knew what he meant, but the way it came out was too much like a blow to her femininity.

"You're lucky I think you're cute…" She whispered so he didn't hear. Once she released his cheek, she took a deep breath and exhaled as if calming down her nerves. "Now that that's over, let's head out and get something to eat. I'm hungry." Opening the door, she waited for him to exit but was puzzled when he stopped next to her and bowed with his arm extended, like a butler.

"After you, milady." Blushing madly, the blonde elbowed him lightly in the ribs and stormed off, not missing his slight chuckle. Strangely, it only seemed to make her smile as they walked further.

* * *

(Eternal)

On the red-pink ship nearby the Archangel and Kusanagi, the crew of the Eternal was also having its own celebratory festivities. Those aboard were former ZAFT members who had chosen to side with Lacus Clyne and supported her father's ideals. Despite being outnumbered on all sides, they had managed to come out alive and victorious. After years of fighting in the war against Naturals and seeing endless bloodshed, the crew was preparing for a new beginning.

On the far side of the ship, though, two men of different ages were having a conversation amongst themselves. A blue-haired teen wearing a ZAFT uniform sat in a comfortable leather chair across from a brown-haired older man who had a noticeable scar on his face. Athrun Zala was one of the main pilots for ZAFT and also the childhood friend of Kira Yamato when they both went to a military academy for young coordinators. After the death of his mother in the Junius Seven disaster, he had joined ZAFT under his father in order to end the war and prevent the Naturals from doing anything like that again. It was the attack at Heliopolis that changed that path when he encountered his long separated friend, Kira. From then on, both had fought each other trying to make the other understand that they didn't wish to fight but that they each had something to protect that forced them to stand their ground. With each battle, Athrun became more and more unsure of the path he was taking since his father's continued radical ideals were creating a rift between the two of them and his unwillingness to kill his friend.

It was at one point where Kira reluctantly was forced to kill Athrun's teammate and friend, Nicole, causing him to kill Tolle, Kira's friend from Heliopolis. Both had been enraged by their deaths and tried to kill each other in retaliation. The battle had ended with Athrun changing his Aegis Gundam into its mobile armor form and grasping Kira's Strike Gundam before detonating. The young ZAFT pilot had later lamented knowing that his close friend was dead due to his attempt at revenge and confirmed it to Cagalli once he was captured. It was not until he had returned to space and talked with his former fiancé, Lacus, that he found out that Kira was indeed alive and now piloting one of the new ZAFT gundams.

Not long after hearing this news, his father, Patrick, gave him new orders to take the Justice Gundam to Earth and bring back the Freedom Gundam that had been stolen. Once on Earth, Athrun was again conflicted on whether to do his duty or help his friend as he defended Orb from the Earth Alliance attack. In the end, he had chosen to side with Kira and proved valuable in dispatching the newly created mobile suits. The battle was far from over, but Izumi Attha had already made it known that he needed to destroy Onagoro base in order to prevent the Earth Alliance from using Orb's means of getting into space. He had watched as the leader of Orb sacrificed himself as he and Kira defended the escape ship before heading into space.

From there, everyone had been so focused on fighting the war that he had hardly had time to talk to either Kira or Cagalli much. Lately, it seemed like there was something going on between the two of them. He had made a note to talk to Kira about it once he saw him. It had always seemed as if there was a form of chemistry that those two had and Athurn was beginning to wonder if maybe Kira was starting to finally break out of his shell and consider a relationship. Knowing his friend, the brunette was pretty dense and innocent when it came to girls, which made him worry a lot that he could be taken advantage of. But from what he had seen from Cagalli, the blonde was quite the girl and had the intensity and heart that made her stand out. The blue-haired soldier admitted that at one point he had indeed fancied her for her personality and good looks. Although pretty much a tomboy, Cagalli did have the looks that made it clear she was a woman, however, he did mistake her for a boy when he first met her.

Athrun wasn't sure what the status was between his two friends but he knew that if it was those two, there wasn't anything to worry about. One thing that did end up on his mind lately, was his own relationship with a certain pink-haired idol, now captain of the Eternal. In the beginning, his father had engaged him Lacus in an arranged marriage for political measures and made them out to be the new generation that would lead the Coordinators to a bright future. As for their own feelings, Athrun and Lacus accepted their engagement regardless of any personal disagreements. The main problem was that both had very busy lives and rarely had time to talk to each other, making it harder for Athrun to imagine what their future would be like. Lacus appeared to be fine with the situation and at times he wondered if maybe she had really come to like him despite how little she knew of him. It wasn't as if they never talked to each other but he believed deep down they both wanted to at least know more about who they would be marrying considering it was going to be for the rest of their lives. Now here he is having a heart-to-heart with Andrew Waltfield, the former Desert Tiger of ZAFT.

"Who would have thought that we'd end up here looking out at space and seeing the end to the war with our very own eyes?" Both men had a drink in their hands, taking swigs every now and then. The young boy had grown up a soldier so he was used to drinking alcohol in certain amounts. "Seems like only a few days ago, I was sent to retrieve the Freedom and return to ZAFT."

"When you get to be my age, you stop worrying about how you got where you are and focus on what to do from here on out." Waltfield took a drink of his scotch and grinned as he enjoyed the taste. "What do you see for yourself in the future?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I've been fighting so long and spent most of my time on missions and completing orders that were assigned to me." He eyed the liquor in his glass. "I never really could see myself so close to the end of this long path of fighting. But for now, I believe I'll start helping to maintain what we've gained now. Don't want there to be another war anytime soon."

"Well, that's understandable. But more importantly, what are you going to do about your personal life?" His young subordinate turned his attention to him. "Are you still going to stay with the young ZAFT princess or take some time for yourself and try to see where life takes you?" The young pilot took some time to think this one over since he had yet to find an answer to the same question.

"I would need to talk to Lacus before I go deciding on what we should do. Truthfully, with everything that has happened concerning our parents, the engagement and any binding actions that held us together are gone. Before now, we always thought that it was out of our hands and that our main duty was the secure the next generation once our time came to succeed our fathers." Taking a drink, he savored the liquid as it ran down his throat. "Personally, I want to just take it easy and decide my own life one step at a time."

"Heh, does this mean you've already fallen for the pink princess?" The older pilot smirked. "I mean, you're already whipped. The way I see it, you're no different from your friend and the blonde princess, hahaha."

"Heh, maybe that's why we're friends. We can relate to our situations. But I think whatever they have is a bit more natural." He leaned back and laughed a bit. "I think Cagalli, is the one leading him by the shirt. Kira might be the best pilot out there but he's totally clueless when it comes to women. If I remember, back when we were in school together he was quite popular with the girls but never took any notice of it." Sighing, he made a silent prayer for his brunette friend.

"Are they still going on with their little back and forth? Back in my day, it wouldn't be long after that they'd eventually be moving up the ladder with each other." Waltfield sighed wondering what the youth of today was doing being so hesitant with their lives. "A woman can only wait so long before she sees that she's not getting anywhere."

"I think they're fine." He looked towards the ceiling as if deep in thought. "If that were the case then I'm sure Cagalli would have let it go a long time ago. And I believe that if Kira doesn't do anything soon, then she'll be the one to force the issue and take charge herself."

"Damn, I can only imagine that day!" The one-armed soldier slapped his knee repeatedly as he laughed. "Can you imagine what happens when she gets frustrated waiting for him to discover intimacy?"

"Ugh, I kinda don't want to imagine that because it sounds too much like Kira might not make it out alive." Grimacing, the younger pilot took another deep drink and tried not to imagine a frustrated blonde dominating his shy friend.

"Well, either way, I'm sure you all know what you're doing better than anyone. My advice would be to not live with any regrets. I've made more than my fair share of them and I can tell you that I wouldn't want the same for any of you." He finished by downing the rest of his scotch in one gulp before returning to his relaxed position.

"I'll take that to heart and be sure that I'll also pass that message on to him as well." Athrun did the same and drank the rest of his drink before standing up.

"Heading on out?" The older gentleman asked.

"Yea, I'm going to go see about some things before we disembark and head back to Orb." He saluted his former superior, who in turn did the same, and made his way out the doorway.

"Regrets, huh? Who am I to be giving advice about such things, eh?" Grinning, he closed his eyes and the image of a beautiful woman came to his mind. "I knew you well enough that you didn't regret tolerating me when I put you through all of those times. I just hope these youngsters are able to overcome the trials that are sure to head their way."

* * *

(Archangel)

The party celebration had been a huge success for all those involved. The young former-civilians were all so glad to finally be free of the war and the fighting. It had affected each one of them, specifically when their colony was destroyed and they came aboard the Archangel. They had done so in support of their friend, Kira, who was put in a tight spot for piloting the Strike Gundam despite the life-or-death situation he was in. Eventually, after numerous battles and tough calls, they decided to volunteer their services to the military vessel knowing that their coordinator friend would be alone otherwise.

Now here they stood all together in one piece and awaiting their return to their families back in the country of Orb. By now, each of them had made plans on what they were going to do with their new found freedom. Miriallia was planning on spending as much time with her parents as she could and was thinking about her future plans for a career in photography. Sai had no idea what he wanted to do besides reuniting with his loved ones, but he wanted to take it slow and think about things. Both were pretty devastate by the loss of their love interests in various battles. Miriallia had lost her boyfriend, Tolle, during the battle between Kira and Athrun, while Sai had heard the shocking news of Flay's, his former fiancé, death. They had grown stronger, though, after experiencing so many things since Heliopolis and now had a better chance to start anew. Both were meeting with Kira to discuss what to do once they returned to the neutral country.

"So, Kira, what are you going to do from here on out?" Sai calmly asked his brunette friend.

"I'm going to be staying with my family in Orb for a bit but I'm not sure on just how long."

"Are you planning on going somewhere?" Miriallia was curious as she was one of the closest to the coordinator.

"I don't know. It's just now that peace has been achieved, I want to make sure and help keep it that way and prevent any more fighting. But I don't know where to start, honestly." There was a slight uneasiness in his demeanor as he remembered his family. Despite his decision on the photo, he was still unsure of what to think about his parents considering there was a high possibility that they were indeed his adoptive parents. His relationship to Cagalli was undetermined as of yet, but it was apparent that his relationship to his parents was not a genetic or natural one. He loved them yes, but he was not sure how to handle that situation with the new knowledge in mind.

"What's wrong, Kira?" Sai could easily tell his friend was having some inner turmoil about something.

"It's nothing. It's just some things came up and I'm not so sure that I'm ready to head back to my parents at the moment." He turned his gaze slightly away.

"Well, if it's that complicated I'm sure you could stay over at my place for a bit." Kira was a little stunned by Sai's response.

"Yea, Kira, my house is free too. My parents always did have a high opinion of you." Miriallia gave a smile.

"Hmm, I don't want to impose on you guys. I mean, we just go through with this war and I know you all want to spend time with your families." While trying to talk his way out of being a burden, Kira was interrupted by a smack on his back that almost made him lose his balance.

"Oh, quit being so indecisive." All three turned to see Cagalli behind him with a frown on her face. "If it's that much trouble for you, just come and stay with me. That way you can decide what you want to do and not feel like you're imposing on them."

"But-" The young pilot began but was halted by a hand on his mouth.

"No buts. You're coming and that's final. Honestly, there is no helping you, is there?" The blonde made a 'hmph' sound while turning her head as if leaving no room for argument. Seeing no way out of this, Kira sighed and gave in.

"Fine, I'll do it." Smiling at his response, the Orb princess turned around and headed back to the cafeteria. Meanwhile, his two friends were smirking at the exchange between the two.

"Kira, is there something that you want to tell us?" The boy turned to see Miriallia with imaginary fox ears that showed she was dying to know something juicy.

"Um, I'll see you guys later. I really need to take care of some things before we start heading back, ok?" Making his escape, the two were left in a mixture of awe and interest. Certainly they would need to make a point and get the details from their friend whether he liked it or not. After all, it wasn't every day that they saw Kira being so easily handled by anyone especially a girl like Cagalli.

-END-

And that's the stopping point for this chapter. I hope I've gotten everyone excited for more on this development. Yes, the main pairing for this series will be Kira/Cagalli since I've always felt like they were duped by the creators at the end. Also, this will be incest-free since I'd rather have a story where they are both not related to make it more natural and not so forbidden and guilt-ridden. I do intend to keep going with this one so please be on the lookout for more chapters. I have an idea as to where to take this but I'm still doing this as I go.

This also can be considered a redo of my earlier fanfic also based on this pairing. There were some points in it that just didn't seem so consistent with the real series so I'm scrapping that one in favor of this story. If you all have any ideas that you think would be good to add then please let me know. I'm always open to new ideas as long as they don't interfere with the main plot. Also, I really and seriously encourage anyone interested to make their own fanfics about this pairing since there aren't many out there. The two most recent ones have been very good but mostly you see a lot of Athrun/Cagalli or Kira/Lacus on here.

Remember to review and let me know what you think. Also, if anyone is able to give me help in technical lingo that they use often in GS and GSD then it would be appreciated. I look up a lot of stuff and don't use too much in my stories but I want to have some variety and have the story seem more authentic. Thanks and God Bless you all.


	2. Returning Home

It's great to see you all again. I'm so happy to see the turn-out for the first chapter of this story. Thanks to that I've been able to get some inspiration by going through some ideas and watching more Gundam Seed. I already know the beginning plans for how I want to handle certain situations in the plot so the next chapter should be under way soon.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own any of the characters or mobile suit creations in this series. If I did I would gladly make this story a reality instead of what it now is.

_Italics = thoughts or flashbacks_

Gundam Seed: New Genesis

Chapter 2: Returning Home

It had been a day since the war ended and by now everyone has been relocated to their homes either in Orb or in the space colonies. After a day of celebration and rest, everyone was ready to start getting back to normal life and their families. Many still had issues to overcome depending on whether they lost loved ones in battle or suffered severe injuries themselves. In either case, the main objective was to get their minds as far away from the fighting that took place as possible. This didn't prove easy for some but they already knew that it would be a gradual process before they finally started to accept that the war was finally over.

* * *

(Athha Mansion: Midnight)

"And that's the last of it." Kira said as he placed the last of his suitcases in his room. When the Archangel had finally landed in Orb to disembark all of its staff and pilots, Kira had been one of the first to head out and begin setting up his living space. Despite his reluctance, he knew that if he didn't go through with his agreed decision that he would have a furious blonde after him no matter where he was. This was the reason why he is currently in his new room inside the Athha Mansion, home to the late Usumi Athha and his new housemate Cagalli.

Now that his luggage was move and ready to unpack, the young pilot took some time to relax on his king sized bed for a bit. It wasn't until earlier that he felt a familiar sense of exhaustion that he realized he had been unconsciously holding back, no doubt due to the exertion of piloting his mobile suit for a long time. Closing his eyes, he started to take in his situation.

_The battle between the Earth Alliance and ZAFT is finally over, but no doubt there are still going to be conflicts. It's not going to be easy to create stability and peace after the vicious attacks and methods that were used during the war. It's understandable why both sides would feel fear of each other. ZAFT constructed the monstrous weapon GENESIS and the Earth Alliance had thrown away the agreement to not use nuclear weapons on the PLANTS. But with the help of Cagalli and Lacus, I'm sure we'll be able to find a way to settle it so that we won't have any more wars._

The name of his blonde female friend brought back memories of his time during the skirmish in space and the horrors he had discovered. There was so much that he wanted to find out and mysterious that were gnawing at the back of his head whenever he thought about them. The image of his masked enemy came to mind for a minute.

_*flashback*_

"_You are the dream of humanity. The Ultimate Coordinator!" Rau Le Creuset pointed a gun at the two intruders who had stumbled upon him. "It was for that reason that Dr. Hibiki created the artificial womb. However, for that result, a large number of your siblings were sacrificed."_

_*end flashback*_

That was the last thing he heard before Le Creuset began firing at him and Mu La Flaga. In the same room where the battle took place, there was an exact replica of the picture that Uzumi Athha had given his daughter Cagalli before his death. These moments only brought him more confusion because deep down he found it preposterous these turns of events were. His parents weren't his real parents despite the fact that they raised him since he was a baby. He had always been a little awkward as he got older and began to wonder why his parents made him a coordinator, with both being naturals. He assumed that it had been done so that he would live a better lifestyle due to having a better construct to do things most normal people wouldn't be able to do without a large amount of effort. Now, he finally realizes that it wasn't their fault that he was what he was. He would never fully say that being a coordinator was a curse because thanks to that he had been able to save so many lives with his abilities. But it had also brought him some sorrow since there were times where he felt ostracized and ridiculed for being something he had no control over.

"I know I have to face them eventually, but I need some time before I can ask these difficult questions." He said as he opened his eyes once again and began unpacking his clothes to go to bed.

For some strange reason, he didn't feel too worried about the possibility that he was related to Cagalli. He was sure that anyone else would've been fully convinced with the facts at hand, but something told him that there were secrets that even those who knew the truth about the two didn't know. And being a coordinator, his genetic and physical construct was so far different that they would almost have no relation to each other even under a microscope. In all honesty, he really didn't care about that since Cagalli was one of his closest friends and she seemed to be more convinced than him that all of this was just a big scam that was played on her father and his parents.

* * *

(Athha Mansion: Second Floor)

At the same time, a certain blonde princess was also dwelling on the same issue that her housemate was. Cagalli had just finished getting ready for bed and was now lying on her bed thinking about issues that she had to take care of. Many were political meetings and various diplomatic issues that were necessary to keep the stability that they had achieved by ending the war. But personally, she was more concerned about unraveling the mysteries behind her and a certain brunette male downstairs.

The young woman was a princess in name but her personality was one of a spite-fire with the attitude that one should state their mind on a matter that they felt was right. However, she was also prone to not being honest with herself in matter that concerned emotions and personal feelings. Those close to her were able to tell when she was using small violence or outbursts to mask her times of embarrassment, happiness, or sorrow. But there were many times where she took a step back and acknowledged what she was feeling deep down and made a point to not avoid those emotions.

This was one of those times, as she gazed out the window and examined her thoughts. The young man who had become her friend was thankfully very dense and innocent to the feelings of women, although she had yet to question him on his relationship with his former love interest who had died. They say girls mature faster than boys and in this situation Cagalli was definitely more aware of her feelings than him. Either that or he had yet to see her as someone in a romantic light.

Yes, she had finally come to admit that she was quite fond of the person who was now staying with her. At first, they were mere acquaintances who happened to meet in very strange circumstances, but later they gradually grew to be close friends. It was briefly before they had arrived in Orb that the blonde had started to grow a crush on Kira due to his warm personality and sense of responsibility to his friends. This wasn't a complication but it did make matters a bit frustrating seeing the red-haired girl practically flaunting her sexuality at him all the time. She had been there to see that, despite his innocence, Kira did in fact have feelings of attraction and romance when it came to his love for Flay Allster. He had confronted his friend Sai, Flay's former fiancé, and basically made it known that he and the red-head were now together.

She didn't really mind the fact that he was taken since in her eyes the relationship was unhealthy due to Flay basically keeping Kira on a leash with her womanly figure and using his feelings for her to get him to fight. Cagalli was confident that in the future Kira would be forced to see the red-head for who she really was and, when that happened, their relationship would end. It was a natural cycle since the coordinator-hater was digging her own grave with her devolving personality. The blonde princess wouldn't use any tricks or do anything underhanded since she wasn't that kind of person. She knew that if she showed her true self to the pilot that maybe he would start to see her the way she was starting to see him.

Sure enough, a short time later, Kira broke things off with Flay after she regressed back into her bitchy attitude and began ridiculing him for trying to support her emotionally. Once that had happened, Cagalli had managed to be there a bit for him and Kira gradually started to open up to her more. Her hope of letting these feelings develop between them was cut short, however, due to the Archangel needing to depart to Alaska. It was with a heavy heart that the princess embraced her friend, now one-sided love-interest, before he took up his task to once again pilot the Strike Gundam and face ZAFT.

The next time she would see her love was after she had experienced the feeling of utter loss once she had discovered the remains of his mobile suit and the man who had fought him, Athrun. Had she been anyone else, she would have gladly sought revenge for the death of the boy who won her heart but knew that he would never want this. She also knew that the act of revenge would solve nothing as it was only fueling the war that was now engulfing the entire world. She had cried herself to sleep a few times thinking that he was dead, but the Archangel's return with the Freedom Gundam and its pilot made her love grow even stronger. To see Kira alive was almost enough to cause her to faint, which would have been one of the most embarrassing moments over her life.

Now here she is with said love interest only a floor away in her own home and barely anyone keeping her from enjoying these precious moments. The only problem would be that she needed to confirm that the photo her father gave her was indeed a misunderstanding or at least not what it meant. Cagalli wasn't one to accept everything that she was told as truth until she had seen the proof for herself, and this matter was no different.

"He's not my brother, I just know it." She looked at the photo on her desk once more. "You don't have feelings like this for a person who is family no matter if you've been separated at birth or not." It was true for her since some of her friends had lived distant lives from siblings that they never knew yet they never felt any romantic feelings for them at any point, saying that before they even found out the truth they could never see them in a romantic light for some reason. There were small misunderstandings that played out differently but Cagalli had a feeling and hope that her love would prevail.

Turning out the lights and covering up, the Orb princess went to bed but not before taking one last glance at the open doorway that led to the stairs. "Goodnight, you dummy….my dummy." She mumbled before she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

(Orphanage Outside of Orb)

As children were put to bed after a long day of running around and lessons, Reverend Malchio and his two new assistants set to work on cleaning up the house. Since the end of the war, Lacus Clyne had decided to make a brief visit to her friend's orphanage to lend a hand before heading to the PLANTS and beginning her delegation to facilitate peace talks between the two factions. Athrun had decided to follow along since he didn't see it as fair for her to be doing so much by herself before heading back to work. She had graciously accepted the help and was actually surprised that he had volunteered to come along with her. Ever since their engagement, both had spent so much time with their duties to either ZAFT or the Clyne Faction and rarely had open time to spend with each other. Lacus knew that deep down her fiancé was a kind person who hated war but was dedicated to helping ZAFT end the violence that he saw as mainly the Naturals' fault. There was also the fact that he had become rather distant from his father since the latter was so focused on destroying and dominating the Earth for what had been done to his wife. Lacus could see that Athrun wanted nothing more than to share a relationship with the only family he had left but instead was torn between serving under his father's command as a soldier or as his son.

After meeting Kira Yamato, the pink-haired idol began to take an interest in this young man who reminded her so much of the man to whom she had been betrothed. Surprisingly enough, Kira happened to be a childhood friend of Athrun but, due to circumstances, was thrust into this conflict that pitted them against one another. Seeing such a tragic thing happened, Lacus decided that she would need to do something whenever she got back to the PLANTS since she was now aboard the Archangel. And just like Athrun, Kira went and risked punishment in order to safely return her to his friend. In return, she had used her position to order Rau Le Creuset to stand down before the ZAFT commander tried to destroy Kira in his mobile suit in a sneak attack. Afterwards, she had talked with Athrun and made him see that his friend wasn't being used by the Naturals as he thought but that he had an obligation to protect his friends that were aboard the ship. This incident had served to help her learn more and more about Athrun and his past that she never knew until now.

Growing up under her loving father, Lacus had learned to love everyone no matter their upbringing or situation. She was a source of inspiration to those in the war and frequently sang and danced in order to raise the spirits of those who were fighting on the front lines. When she was told of her engagement to Athrun Zala, she had been surprised and perplexed but ultimately trust her father's judgment and agreed. Her father had told her that she still had options for her future but that for now she was to be engaged for reasons that the other party, Patrick Zala, had pushed. It was understandable since both their fathers represented key positions within the colonies and ZAFT. The main obstacle was the fact that both sides were working for different goals. Her father, Seigel Clyne, was a pacifist who had been openly pushing both coordinators and naturals to live in peace together, meanwhile, Patrick Zala, was for the utter destruction of the naturals and the Earth Alliance.

At first, the pink-haired beauty had been afraid to even be in the same room as her fiancé's parent, believing him to be very confrontational. This went on for a while until she had had a brief meeting with Athrun to speak about their future. The quiet pilot gave off the feeling of pain and sorrow deep in his eyes, which caused Lacus to become more curious. She had expected this man to be similar to his father in demeanor, but in fact it was the total opposite. After talking for a while, he had told her that he understood her awkwardness towards his father, but asked that she look past it since his current persona was due to a trauma that they had both sustained. Lacus was shocked to hear about the death of the ZAFT soldier's mother during the Junius Seven catastrophe, and began to realize how much both had been affected.

Having changed her outlook on both gentlemen, the young girl put even more effort to facilitate peace and encourage the generation to move towards that goal. As time went on, both she and Athrun had gotten more accustomed to being seen together and playing their parts as the future couple that represented the shining light for coordinators. Her fiancé was rather hesitant about such social matters since he wasn't so used to being in the spotlight, but in a way she found it rather cute. The princess could tell that, unlike her, he was still having trouble deciding whether this arranged marriage was one that he could manage. However, she had decided not to force the issue, silently agreeing that normally these kinds of arrangements didn't bring about true happiness. Deep down, she had come to accept and cherish the man that she would one day be marrying, and was thankful that, out of most men that could be in this situation, he was not someone who would take advantage of her.

She had been happy to see that the blue-haired pilot had been worried about her during the time she spent on the Archangel. It had made her feel special knowing that despite his quiet and calm attitude he had expressed fear for her safety at the hands of his enemies. After her departure back to the PLANTS, she had made sure to thank him personally before saying her goodbyes for a bit, knowing her schedule was going to be busy once she returned. Her father had been overjoyed to see her again and she returned the same feelings, but she knew that she had to work hard with him in order to prevent this war from continuing. It was during her time at Reverend Malchio's that he later again encountered the injured Kira Yamato and brought him back to space once he had recovered. Knowing the kindness and selfless desire to protect that Kira possessed, Lacus made the decision to give him the power he needed in the form of the top secret Freedom Gundam. The pink-haired girl knew it would be a cost if anyone found out but knew that without Kira and Athrun the war would never be put to an end.

Her thoughts were true as eventually the escalating conflict between the Earth Alliance and ZAFT reached a point to where Patrick Zala had ordered the murder of her father, Seigel. The death of her loving family was a tragic moment in her life and she lamented internally many times, but resolved herself to fight on to succeed in her father's goals. She managed to find people that were still loyal to her father and took the ship, Eternal, in hopes of meeting up with more allies later on. It was a short time later that Lacus once again met Kira, Athrun, Cagalli, and the Archangel before the Three Ships Alliance was formed.

Now that the conflict had ended, it was up to her to fulfill her father's dying wish that everyone live in peace and harmony. It would be a difficult and long task but she knew that she had many allies whom she could count on. Cagalli was also a diplomatic force as one of the new leaders or Orb and she found the blonde princess very intriguing. There was a time where she had experienced a brief form of jealousy towards the rash girl after seeing the way Athrun had looked upon her at times. But she trusted her fiancé deeply and had begun to see that the blonde had someone else that she seemed to fancy.

Kira held a special place in her heart due to his kindness and innocence. It was thanks to him that she could understand where her azure-haired partner was coming from in regards to the fiery princess. Lacus had more than once pictured a fantasy where she shared a life with the brunette pilot, but quickly brushed them away for fear being overtaken by temptation. Now, however, she had come to see Kira as a best friend and confidant. Seeing how Cagalli looked at her fiancé's friend, she could tell that the blonde held deep feelings for the boy, and there were times where the pink princess had caught hints of reciprocation from him as well.

"I wonder what they're doing now?" Lacus said aloud as she finished cleaning up the living room and sat down to rest, causing her cleaning partner to glance her way.

"Wonder who is doing what now?" Athrun joined her on the couch, eager to relax.

"Nothing really. I was just thinking about Kira and Cagalli. I wonder how they're doing right about now. They left awful early the last time we saw them, don't you think?" The young woman smiled innocently.

"True, they didn't really leave us much time to say goodbye before heading back to the city. I kinda wonder how they're doing too. I heard from Sai that they are both living together now at Cagalli's mansion." As he looked towards his pink-haired companion he was met with one of her rare surprised expressions.

"Oh my." Lacus's eyes were very wide at hearing such news. "Now that sounds very interesting. I wonder how that happened?"

"I have no idea. But considering the possibilities, I'm willing to bet that Cagalli muscled Kira into agreeing to stay with her because of some problem he was having." The azure pilot chuckled a bit.

"You may be right. It seems Cagalli can be very assertive when it comes to things she wants, right?" She began to giggle mischievously.

"And if what she wants is Kira, then I'm afraid this is one battle he'll never be able to win." Chuckling he leaned back. "I kinda worry if what Waltfield was saying might come true." This gained the attention of the girl sitting next to him as she leaned in further for him to explain in more detail.

"Oh, what did Mr. Waltfield say exactly?"

"Let's just say that it involved the notion that some women can be scary when their patience begins to run thin." Athrun blushed a bit in embarrassment, trying to ensure his fiancé wouldn't be negatively influenced by the conversation he had been having with the former Desert Tiger.

* * *

(Athha Mansion: Morning)

"Lady Cagalli, it's time to get up." One of the maids, Romana, knocked on her mistress's door three times. It was customary to do so despite the common knowledge that the Orb princess was a heavy sleeper. Lord Uzumi, her former master, had at times wondered how his daughter planned to eventually find a man if she persisted with her tomboyish antics. Many of the household caretakers had similar thoughts as they all saw the young girl as their own family and wished to see her happy.

"Yes, yes, Romana. I hear you." Yawning for a second, the golden-haired ruler made her way towards the bathroom for her shower. Although she didn't see the point of it, she had grown accustomed to letting her maid prepare her clothes for the day, as most of the time she would forget to wear customary uniforms for important meetings. She never really felt the need to dress up for political matters, but her father had always told her that it was for the best.

_I wonder what's going to be happening today. I doubt that there will be any immediate council or peace talk meetings since the war had just barely ended recently. It would also feel really good to have a day to enjoy myself before I get swamped with work._ She began washing her body thoroughly while contemplating her thoughts. Suddenly, the image of Kira made its way into her mind. _I wonder what Kira is going to be doing. I know he agreed to stay here while he sorted out his affairs, but I have no idea what his plans are. I offered to have him stay here but, now that I think about it, he has no obligation to me when it comes to his free time. _Turning the water off and grabbing her towel, she headed towards the mirror that was within the bathroom. Dropping her towel for a moment, she began examining herself from different angles. _I mean, he might have other obligations besides meeting with his friends and parents. He doesn't have to spend it with me but…_

Sighing, she wrapped the towel again around her waist and opened the door to her bedroom. Still in her thoughts, she didn't realize the clothes she was putting on until she almost put on her…dress? The blonde princess was in utter confusion upon gazing at the green dress in her hands. Looking at her maid, she decided to inquire about the situation.

"Um, Romana?" The young maid gave her attention to her mistress with a smile on her face.

"Yea, Lady Cagalli, what seems to be the matter?"

"This is a dress, right?" For some reason, she had a feeling the situation was intentional, but wanted to confirm her suspicions first.

"Yes, I do believe that is the dress that I picked out for you to wear today. Is something the matter?" Cagalli could tell that both women weren't on the same page so she decided to just come out and explain it slowly.

"I can see that you picked out this dress for me and it's lovely indeed…but why a dress for today? Is there something I'm supposed to attend that I don't know about?" The Lioness of Orb was beginning to question whether she had indeed managed to forget an important engagement for the day while preparing.

"No, I don't believe so. In fact, I would say that your schedule is entirely open today."

"Then, why the dress, Romana?" For the life of her, she could not figure out why the older girl decided on this particular style on a day where she had nothing to do. Almost everyone in the staff knew that the fiery princess didn't like to wear dresses unless absolutely necessary, which is why this situation made no sense.

"Forgive me if I made a mistake, Lady Cagalli, but my assessment was that this form of wear would be best for you today." This caused said 'mistress' to stare at the older girl in confusion again.

"And why exactly would this be best for me to wear today exactly?"

"Well, I was thinking that perhaps you would prefer to wear something that would attract more attention." Cagalli remained silent to hear out Romana before she began expressing her opinion. "I mean, Lady Cagalli, has not had many opportunities to show off her feminine charms and in the past there were not many chances for you to meet any possible suitors."

_Oh my gosh, is she thinking what I think she's thinking? _The royal princess was beginning to feel her face heat up each second.

"But now all that has changed since you have decided to bring home a suitable young man on your own accord." Romana made a loud 'kyahh' as she blushed, causing the other girl to blush even more. "So in order to help my mistress, I decided that the best way to begin your path to happiness was to first wear something that would definitely catch the attention of Mr. Yamato." The maid's eyes were practically sparkling with passion and determination that it made the blonde feel a little overwhelmed.

"Ahem. While I appreciate your thoughtfulness, I think this might be a bit extreme for the time being. Kira Yamato is my friend and with his personality I doubt he would even acknowledge the fact that I'm wearing it. He just has a lot of things going through his mind at the moment and I don't want to cause any more distractions. I do appreciate your choice though." She turned to see her maid with a slight grin on her face.

"Lady…'for the time being'…'don't want to cause any more distractions'…" Romana once again made a screeching noise with her hands on her cheeks and shaking her head back and forth. "Oh my, our dear young princess has grown up and already started thinking about boys. Your father would be so proud to see the woman you have become."

_Damn, I need to get ready and leave before this gets even more out of hand. _Quickly changing into something more casual, she headed downstairs while the young maid was fantasizing. While heading down, she ran into Kira, who was on his way up.

"Is there something wrong? I heard a bunch of screaming and noises upstairs and I was going to come check on you." The brunette coordinator found himself immediately pulled behind the young girl as they made their way outside.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." She said while trying to hide her burning cheeks. _I'm so glad he didn't get to hear our conversation. If he had it would've been very difficult to salvage our friendship much less my own feelings._ After they had traveled enough distance from the mansion, they sat down to rest on a bench in a nearby park. "Sorry, about dragging you out here with me. I just felt the need to get away for a bit."

"It's fine. I was actually going to see you and find out what you were going to do today. But considering your position, I'm sure you're pretty busy now." He smiled towards her.

"Actually, I'm free today and I have nothing important for the week I think." She eyed him before continuing. "I actually wanted to ask you what your plans were for today. I remembered you have some things you wanted to take care of." Her companion scratched the back of his head as if pondering his choices.

"Well, I would really like to get some things over with but for now I think they can wait." Cagalli gained a hopeful look on her face, though she masked it from him. "I want to sort out what I want to say before I meet my family again and I think letting my friends have time to themselves would be best. So if it's alright with you, maybe we could do something since we're both free?"

Cagalli on the outside was fighting back the smile that was threatening to come out at his proposal. And internally her heart was beating many times faster than it had during her conversation with Romana. Quickly gaining control of herself, she smiled brightly at him. "Yea, that sounds good to me."

Unbeknownst to her, the young man's heart skipped a beat at her expression and he suddenly started to feel his temperature go up a bit. _I've seen her smile before, but that one just now was one I hadn't seen before._ He cut his thoughts off noticing his friend staring at him like there was something wrong with him. Thinking how he must look, he quickly stood up and motioned for them to head out.

-End-

And that about wraps it up for this chapter. For those who are wondering, these first two chapter are more for background and buildup in case there are new fans who have not yet completed the original series. I want all the readers to get the four main characters' individual thoughts and development before we really get the show going. In the next chapter, I plan on moving forward with more interaction between the characters and more dialogue. I did manage to add some humor between Cagalli and her maid for some more entertainment.

I'd also like to thank everyone for continuing to read this story and showing their support. Thank you, "inuyasha112", for your review and hard work in your story. I'd like to see more chapters when you can. I also continue to encourage more fans of this pairing to try their hands at making their own stories about this pairing. The show may have ended but we can keep it going by doing our own take on it. Who knows, maybe there will be a different adaptation made in the future due to requests from the fan base. I mean, they've been doing different routes for stories like Fate/Stay Live with the Unlimited Blade Works version. Never know what might happen years down the road. Well, that's all for now so until then stay tuned for chapter three.


	3. Outing and Events

Hey, guys, welcome back. Have you all enjoyed the story so far? It's only started, but I think that's the best thing when it comes to a fanfic. There will never been an end to a dream until it is realized and what's so great about this site is that there is so much potential and variety. Anyway, enough dramatizing, let's get right to the show.

Dislcaimer: I don't own any of the franchise of Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny.

Gundam Seed: New Genesis

Chapter 3: Outing and Events

The Archangel sat in the main hangar of Morgenroete undergoing its routine maintenance as technicians and technical analysts went back and forth examining each side. After the battle two days ago, the ship was in decent shape considering what it had just been through but the damages were by no means minimal. Yesterday, the crew went around the clock repairing the main hull after its fight the Dominion.

As for the crew of the Archangel, the former members of Heliopolis had left to their homes in Orb, while the official crew, who were formerly Earth Alliance military, had decided to take refuge in the new country. After being labeled as deserters for fleeing a major battle against ZAFT and fighting against both factions, many did not have any other place to go. So they had taken up residence as refugees after the battle and to hopefully start a new life.

"So how is everything?" A long-haired brunette in a Morgenroete technician suit was looking over the clipboard in her hands, turning her eyes to another technician in front of her.

"Well, after all the work we did to complete the repairs yesterday, there are only minor touch-ups that need to be repaired. This ship is one tough cookie." Smiling to the beauty in front of him, he took the clipboard from her when she finished her analysis.

"That's great to hear. This ship has made it through some very extensive situations. Ever since it was launched, it hasn't had much maintenance due to being on the run from enemy forces." Looking up at the vessel in front of her, she gave a slight smile remembering the many close calls she had with her subordinates.

"You've all had it rough, haven't you? But having said that, what is someone like you doing here instead of getting some rest?" He gave the woman in front of him a curious look.

"Honestly, I don't know, myself. After all I've been through, one would think that I should be taking it easy and doing something, but for some reason I still haven't been able to get out of that mindset." Murrue Ramius sighed as she turned her eyes to the open doors of the hangar and stared at the sky above. _Maybe it's because I still haven't been able to get over that._ The image of a mobile suit being destroyed by a large beam suddenly came to mind, causing her to break out of her thoughts.

"Are you okay?" The concerned tech walked slowly to where Murrue was facing. Taking a quick glance, he could tell her eyes were beginning to water.

"Yes, I'm sorry. It's just some things are hard to get over. It hasn't even been two days since the war has ended." Rubbing her eyes for a minute, she smiled and made her way towards the open gates. "I think you're right, I do need to take some time away and sort through some things. Thank you for today."

"It's no problem. You've done enough already. Maybe now is a good time to think about the things that are important." Nodding he tipped his cap and headed back to his job.

"The things that are important…Knowing **him**, I'm sure if he were here he'd be telling me that I shouldn't be dwelling on all these negative feelings. But still, it's hard to forget and focus on the future when the one you thought was in your future isn't here." Making her way to the exit, she contemplated her plans for the day.

* * *

(Orb: 12:30 PM)

"So , Cagalli, you never did tell me how you got to be free of work for an entire week." He turned towards the blonde girl walking beside him. "With what we've been through, I can understand, but I find it hard to believe that you would step back from doing things for Orb."

"I tried." The boy raised an eyebrow, while the girl put on a frustrated expression. "After we made our way back to Orb, I was talking with Kisaka on what should be done on the rebuilding the country and the necessary talks with the leaders of both Earth and the PLANTS. But he decided that after everything that I've been through, both physically and emotionally, I needed a good rest before he would allow me to get to work." Growing even more frustrated, the blonde stopped walking and clenched her first. "He acts like I'm some kind of…"

"Girl?" Kira put in and was rewarded with a hand pinching his cheek. The blonde was now directing an irritated gaze at him.

"I meant fragile princess. Honestly, what is with you and always putting your foot in your mouth?" Releasing her grip she huffed. "Ever since we first met, you've never been able to see me as a girl. Even when you found out who I really was you still managed to forget unless I wear something like a dress. I may not act like a girl a lot of the time, but deep down I still want to be respected as one." Cagalli turned her back to him showing her level of frustration, causing the boy to starting reflecting on what to say.

"I think you might be a little mistaken about something." He said as he still faced her back.

"How so?" She turned a bit to eye him from the side but never losing the scowl on her features.

"I admit that when I first saw you on Heliopolis I thought that you were a boy. I mean, it was hard to tell with the clothes you were wearing and you always hid your face. But once I did find out you were a girl I made a note to keep that in mind." He rubbed the back of his head as if apologizing. "And after we met again on Earth and in Orb, I never forgot the fact that you were a girl. It's just…" He paused as if thinking of the right way to put his answer. This, however, only managed to cause Cagalli more irritation.

"Go on, spit it out." Her body was still in the same position, not willing to give up her ground.

"It's just that I didn't know how to really act around you sometimes." He focused his attention on her eyes. "I could tell that you didn't like being treated as a girl who couldn't defend herself. And I knew that you were more independent than a lot of people. So I was confused as to how I should interact with you about that. I'm sorry if I said or did some stupid things, but I never forgot that you were a girl." He turned his head in slight embarrassment and scratching his cheek. "I mean, even without the girly or formal princess wear, you still look beautiful."

Cagalli, for her part, had lost all train of thought when he had finished, choosing to fully turn back around. Unlike before, where she was ignoring him due to frustration, now she was behaving for an entirely different reason. She dared not face her pilot companion for fear of him seeing her in such a state. Her entire body felt like it was burning with warmth and even without a mirror she felt with her cheeks that they were not doubt as red as a tomato. _Idiot, now what am I supposed to do? If I turn around now he'll know what's going on for sure, but if I don't then he'll think I'm still mad at him. Well, in a way it's his fault anyway. How can be so dense and yet still say stuff like that? It's not fair!_ Steeling herself, she took a deep breath to calm herself before turning around to face quiet boy.

"Fine, I forgive you." With her head down, she walked towards him. Looking at her quizzically for a second, he found both cheeks being assaulted in the same way as before. "As long as you understand. But this also means that you have no more excuses when you start saying anything rude." Satisfied with her revenge, she began walking away but stopped to let him catch up.

"Heh, I only do that with you of course." He smiled and caught up to her. "So what do you want to do right now?" Thinking for a bit the blonde princess noticed a theatre not far for their direction.

"How about we watch a movie? It's been a long time since I've seen one."

"Yea, me too. I wonder what movies are playing today." They made their way over to scan the movie ads that were lined up on the walls. "What kind of movies do you like?" He looked over to his friend.

"I like movies with a lot of action and suspense. But anything is good today since I want something that we both can enjoy." Nodding in agreement, they began searching.

"Hey, how about this one?" Kira pointed to a movie poster showing two mobile suits pointing beam rifles at each other, while on the sides, but smaller, there were a man and woman on each side of each machine looking in shock and awe.

"Really?" The blonde eyed the poster again as if searching for any more clues to what the movie plot was about. "I didn't think you'd be in the mood for this kind of movie after everything you went through. Are you sure?" She looked at Kira with slight concern.

"Yea, it's fine." He said as he waved lightly to her. "I mean, these kinds of things are okay since they are just actors and everything is just for show."

"Okay then. Let's go see this one." They then went to the ticket box and gathered the necessary drinks and snacks before getting situated in their seats. Cagalli had a medium cola and Kira had a small orange soda, while both shared a large popcorn between them. In no time at all, the movie began.

The movie began with a flashback as two boys in their teens were seen hanging out and doing various activities in a small town. Apparently, they were childhood friends and made a promise that no matter what they hoped that things would never change between them. The scene later cut to a battlefield in the depths of space where a large number of mobile suits were battling. Beams were exchanged and many machines were destroyed, while a select few were shown to breach through a large opening in what appeared to be a space colony. The scene cut to the inside of a technical room as a small group of men in lab coats were busy working on an experiment, one man in particular was typing vigorously before being interrupted by one of his friends surprising him from behind.

"This kind of reminds me of when I when in Heliopolis." Kira commented, while Cagalli eyed him while taking a drink. "The guy just a moment ago acts just like Tolle." Smiling he turned his attention back to the screen. The blonde focused a bit more on her friend's face, hoping he wasn't reliving any bad memories.

By now, there was a scene where two men, who looked very similar to the young teens seen in the beginning, were now facing each other in shock, one of them pointing a pistol at the other man. It was clear that both men realized that the other was their friend from years ago. A brief battle occurred when an outsider began shooting onto the scene, causing both men to jump away, each one into a machine much like the ones in the movie poster. The colony man, Jeane, now began piloting one of his colony's experimental machines as he dispatched two enemy mobile suits. Meanwhile, the soldier, Mark, had completed his task by taking command of his machine before proceeding to tackle the opposing mobile suit. There was a brief exchange between the pilots of the two giant mechs, with Mark doing his best to hold onto his friend's machine in hope of taking him in unharmed.

"I wonder where they got the idea to make this movie. A lot of this is different but some parts seem similar to when I was in space." The brunette coordinator took a drink, not noticing his partner's eyes shift to him again.

The blonde then shifted her gaze to the young man's hand on the arm rest, while her own hand began making its way to overlap his. Before she could, both noticed the arrival of a rather suspicious-looking man making his way down their row. He paused a bit before sitting down at least three seats away from Kira. Cagalli didn't fail to notice the way Kira's eyes lingered a bit on the guy before turning back to the screen.

"Kira, are you alright?" The young pilot turned to see the hesitant look in the blonde's eyes as they gauged his thinking. He smiles to reassure her.

"Yea, I don't know why, but I just had a funny feeling when I saw that guy. I guess I'm just a little concerned since you're here with me." Nodding, she grabbed some popcorn in an attempt to take her attention off the warm going through her face.

By this time, the movie was at the point where Jeane and his new friend Jessica, a dark-skinned girl from the battlefield, were making their way to a new country to rest. They went through some slight resistance until it was revealed that Jessica was, in fact, the princess of the country and declared all her forces to stand down. After landing, both were led to a large room to wait until meeting her father, meanwhile having a small argument about Jessica's secrecy.

"I might look into the making of this movie later on. It does look a little close to what we went through." The Orb lioness said while internally wondering why her role in the movie was that of a dark-skinned princess.

Now, Jeane was busy fighting the many mobile suits that descended upon Jessica's country, while being aided by the country's own military. As the fighting progressed, it became clear that the enemy's forces were slowly overwhelming even the military might of the neutral country. The scene shifted to the inside of a hangar as Jessica's father informed his daughter that she must leave in order to still have a chance at helping the country after this was all over. With tears in her eyes, Jessica said goodbye to her father before launching in her mobile suit and contacting Jeane to follow. While leaving, however, they were both stopped by Mark as his machine appeared in their way. An exchange of dialogue took place as Mark begged Jeane to surrender, while Jeane instead just flew past him and grabbed onto his partner's machine. Seeing no other way, Mark engaged his friend in an intense battle that left both mobile suits in bad shape. Jeane eventually won the fight and left his friend alive as well.

The movie was nearing the end as it changed location. On a remote island, a couple came out from a large house and it was easy to tell who they were. Jeane had his arm around Jessica while the camera zoomed in on the baby that she was carrying in her arms. The movie then closed as the narrator explained that both built a happy life where they were before later heading back to rebuilt Jessica's nation once again. However, the war was far from over and that both needed to be strong to secure a future for their child.

As the credits started rolling, both teens headed out and threw away their trash before exiting the theatre. Kira thought that he had forgotten something but, after a while, decided he would remember it later. Once outside, they squinted as their eyes adjusted to the sunlight.

"Well, I don't know about you but I kind of liked the movie." Kira stretched his arms before turning to hear the blonde's opinion.

"Actually, I really liked it too. A few parts were similar, but overall the story was pretty good. I was surprised at how the second half was almost like when you found out about me." Cagalli smirked as she and Kira began walking to their next destination.

"I know. And the ending was rather surprising. I didn't expect them to be living together right after that and then have a child." He chuckled as he remembered the ending scene.

"Well, it was romantic in a way. I mean, her country was almost destroyed and I guess, having nothing left, they must have slowly started to see each other in that way." Pondering her thoughts, Cagalli suddenly imagined the last scene, but with her as Jessica and Kira as Jeane. This caused her to shake her head in embarrassment and wonder where that thought came from.

"That does seem nice though. After going through so much and starting a new life with someone and raising a family." The pilot allowed his mind to wander as he pictured a similar situation. He imagined himself coming home to a family and looking at his wife, who he saw had dark red hair. For a brief moment, he began to see Flay smiling at him from the doorway. Then suddenly, as he came towards the house, she disappeared, instead being replaced by a beautiful golden-haired woman who very much resembled Cagalli. His thoughts were then pulled away by someone tugging at his shirt.

"Kira…Earth to Kira! Have you come back down from space?" The boy's eyes turned to see his blonde companion with a slight pout.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something. So where do you want to head to next?" He asked, hoping to dodge any question about the day-dream he had. He didn't want to think about what his friend would think if she caught him imagining such things about her.

"Well, after watching that movie, I feel like getting something to eat. What do you think?" She decided to let his moment in space slide for now.

"Yea, I am a little hungry now that you mention it. Let's head up the street and see what's up ahead." Nodding together, they began walking and examining each store that came up.

They passed a few restaurants of different cuisines, but neither could really decide on what they were in the mood for. Frustration growing, Cagalli began looking around every direction until her eyes rested on a small stand that was selling crepes. Pulling Kira beside her, they made their way to the stand and ordered. A small park bench provided the perfect place to sit down after walking for a good amount of time.

"I'm getting a case of déjà vu, aren't you?" The blonde said as she took a bite of hers, condiments already on top of her crepe.

"You mean like the time where we met Mr. Waltfield?" Taking a bit, he savored the natural taste of his treat. Unlike Cagalli, he preferred his crepe without any condiments on it.

"Yea, that sure was a fun time. You looked so funny when we kept trying to get you to decide on what to put on yours." She laughed at the memory, while Kira had a slight smirk. "It still say that my way is the best way to eat one of these."

"Maybe, but I like them the way they are. I can experiment after I've tried their natural taste." Taking his last bite, he crumpled up his trash and went to throw it away.

"You don't know what you're missing. One day, I'll have you decide on who was right." Finishing her lunch she did the same and sat back down. Right about now, the sky was beginning to grow slightly dark. "This sure was a fun day. I should try this out more often when I'm not working."

"Yea, thanks for bringing me along. If you hadn't, I might've just sat around all day or done something less exciting." This made his friend give another genuine smile, again causing his heart to stir briefly. Now he was seriously wondering what was up with him.

"That's great to hear. I'm sure you needed this more than I did." She looked at her watch. "It's starting to get dark so maybe we should head back." Taking his nod as acknowledgement, they both stood up and headed back to the mansion.

* * *

As the mansion could be seen in the distance, Kira suddenly had a strange feeling run down his spine. Drawing closer to Cagalli, he slowly slid his hand into hers, causing her to jump slightly. Caught by surprise at the sudden action, she turned to see Kira with a serious, firm expression. She leaned in slowly to hear what was going on.

"Don't do anything suspicious and don't turn around. I have a feeling we're being followed." He said as he continued to stare straight ahead, while planning what to do in the worst case scenario.

If Cagalli was nervous, she never let it show. Instead, she followed Kira's lead and acted like a couple that was heading home in a nonchalant way. However, both were equally nervous since they could not fully grasp their situation. Kira was more concerned about keeping Cagalli safe and making sure that whoever was following them couldn't use her as a hostage. The best thing to do was to wait until they had passed the entrance gate and then he could have her take cover while he dealt with their stalker.

Seconds passed like hours and as they came closer to the gate, Kira quietly made sure Cagalli knew what to do. Reluctant to abandon him, she had him agree to only let her be at a safe distance in case he needed help. Kira was against it at first, but with such a small time frame, agreed as long as she was careful. Once the gate had been cleared, Kira motioned for her to quickly step towards the bushes that outlined the yard, meanwhile he turned to face whoever had been following them.

To his surprise, the only person he saw was the man wearing a hoodie that they had seen in the theatre. Seeing that there was no one else with him, the pilot slowly took a step forward, making sure to check on his friend off to the side. The man stopped a short distance from the gate but remained silent.

"Who are you? Why did you follow us all the way here?" Kira spoke with determination in hopes of at least getting under the man's skin and dropping his guard. This did not have the desired effect as the man merely smiled for a moment before brandishing a pistol from one of his coat pockets. Seeing this, Kira's mind quickly examined his surroundings for any objects he could use to help him. Resting his eyes on a large stone on the ground, he mentally prepared for what was to come. Cagalli leaned her head in enough to catch a glimpse of the gun in the man's hand, causing her heart to speed up as she looked at Kira with worry.

"FOR THE PRESERVATION OF OUR BLUE AND PURE WORLD!" The man roared as he fired his gun.

Kira, already prepared, managed to dodge to the side with lightning speed and picked up the stone he had seen. Quickly, he threw it towards his target and was rewarded with the gun being knocked out of the man's hands. Before the thug could pick up his weapon, however, Kira was in front of him and threw him from his arm hard onto the ground. With the wind knocked out of his opponent, Kira shifted him onto his back while using his foot to keep him there. He took a second to check on Cagalli, who nodded that she was okay.

The blonde release a breath that she had been holding since she had spotted the gun the man held. A million thoughts went through her mind back then and she worried for Kira's safety. Despite knowing about his skills as a coordinator, she still couldn't stop the concern for his safety that she felt. Anything could have happened and the last thing she wanted was to confess her love for him while looking over his casket, a thought that had almost reduced her to tears just thinking about it. As Kira stood over the now-defeated man, she sighed in relief. This moment was short-lived, though, as she caught sight of something in the man's other hand as he tried lifting it up.

Upon closer inspection, she could tell that it was a detonator of some sort, no doubt to a bomb that the thug had somewhere on his body. Knowing that it would be too late to tell Kira in time, she found herself already running up to the scene then kicking the object away from the hooded man's hand. The man let out a grunt as Kira turned his attention back to the man and then to the object that Cagalli had kicked away. Noticing the detonator, Kira silently thanked the blonde before turning his focus back on the stranger.

"Not only a gun to shoot us with, but also a bomb in case you failed. I don't know if you're with Blue Cosmos or not but there's no way I'll let you guys get away with trying to hurt Cagalli or anyone else." Twisting the man's arm slightly to prevent any other form of retaliation, he had Cagalli call Kisaka to get the attacker taken away for questioning.

* * *

(Athha Mansion: 2 Hrs Later)

It was now getting late and after the ordeal with the terroristic attacker, both Kira and Cagalli felt drained. It had taken an hour to deal with all of the questioning and various other details before they finally were allowed to get ready for bed. Kira had just finished brushing his teeth and showering before Kisaka walked in and asked him to follow him. The older man led him upstairs and motioned for him to go inside where Cagalli's room was. Uncertain, the coordinator went inside and was greeted with the sight of his friend in her night clothes. Noticing the young man's questioning look, she decided to explain.

"Hear me out. With all that's happened today and what we still don't know, I'm asking that, just for tonight, you stay in this room." Tilting his head in question again, the blonde continued. "It's just that we don't know if that guy has more people on his side or not, and I think it would be better if we were in one place it would be better in case something happened."

"So…you want me to stay here?" He asked cautiously.

"Just for tonight. I don't want to think about what could happen if you were attacked while in your sleep. And if you're here, we can keep an eye on each other. Then tomorrow, we can have your things moved to one of the rooms upstairs while we sort this stuff out." Understanding, he made a point to ask something but was cut off. "You have no idea how hard it was to convince Kisaka to allow this, so just humor me, ok?"

"Fine, but let me get some things before I go to bed." He smiled as she nodded, then headed downstairs to fetch his things.

After Kira left, Cagalli plopped back on her bed and let the day wash over her. How could today have gone from such a wonderful time spent with Kira to an almost deadly assassination? _I almost lost him today._ She thought but reminded herself that he was still her with her and that everything was ok. Tomorrow they would get to the bottom of things and find out what was going on. Finishing her nightly rituals, she got into bed and tried to get to sleep.

As the brunette pilot made his way upstairs, he had similar thoughts as to what happened in the last two hours. _That guy was definitely here to kill either one of us, but who? He was yelling the same thing that many Blue Cosmos supporters chanted about, but there was no guarantee that he was one of them. Is it possible that they are targeting Cagalli in retaliation for not siding with the Earth Forces?_ Opening the door to his temporary room, he saw the blonde princess already asleep in her bed. _One thing's for sure. I can't go anywhere else until I find out what's going on._ He stared outside with a determined gaze.

-End-

And there you have the latest chapter for this week. I've been working on it for a few days but I had some trouble with how to make it more interesting. I'm all for character development and romantic acts but too much of it can destroy the plot that makes Gundam Seed. Hope you like the twist that has happened now, because I have more to come. For all of those who are just now reading this story, this is a Kira/Cagalli pairing with some Athrun/Lacus in it as well. But I don't plan on making this a mushy, fluffy fanfic since that's not how I do things. There will be drama, suspense, and action as well. Anyway, I hope you all are enjoying this so far. Please read and review to let me know your opinions and possible input. Thanks a bunch and God Bless.


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